ERIE - Front Range cities trying to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions will soon be able to analyze what works and what doesn't, thanks to a sophisticated new tracking system developed by Boulder researchers.

For the first time cities will have access to data showing how much carbon dioxide (CO2) is being released along the Front Range, how that compares with background levels of greenhouse gases, and how the entire mix is interacting with local weather fronts, traffic and ecosystems.

Greenhouse gases are considered the main culprit behind global warming.

In this first round of work, distinguishing between emissions from Colorado Springs and Denver, for example, will be difficult, scientists say. But within two years, they hope to be able to do just that.

That means communities implementing programs to cut back on CO2 will know whether they are working or not.

"Having real time data from the field is enormously helpful," said Matt Baker, executive director of Environment Colorado. "This is exactly the kind of information that will allow us to design effective (greenhouse gas) reduction strategies."

A report by Environment Colorado earlier this year indicated that greenhouse gases here rose 39 percent between 1990 and 2004, more than twice the national average of 18 percent. The report used 2004 power plant emission data from the U.S. Department of Energy, Baker said.

The new sensing network, developed by a team of scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder, was unveiled Tuesday morning.

The first sensor is on a 1,000-foot-high tower near Erie, just west of Interstate 25, and four more towers are in place nationwide.

Eventually, the project calls for 12 sensing stations, according to Arlyn Andrews, a scientist with NOAA's Earth System Research Lab.

That number could grow, however, if more cities and states seek to cut their CO2 emissions and want detailed monitoring.

"As different entities set emission targets, we think there ought to be an objective way to track progress. And the best way to do this is to look at the atmosphere," said Pieter Tans, a carbon researcher at NOAA.

Tans said early efforts to monitor greenhouse gas emissions have relied on estimates based on gasoline sales and power plant operations, for instance.

The new sensing network, though still being refined, looks at a much broader array of ingredients and atmospheric conditions.

"We measure the whole ball of wax," he said.

The new network links real- time data on emissions, such as that released from cars, with sophisticated computer models incorporating weather data and local ecosystem data on such things as lakes, swamps and cornfields, which affect how greenhouse gases move and are absorbed.

Stephen Saunders, president of the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization, said the ambitious undertaking could have a major impact on Colorado's efforts to slow climate change.

"It's a very complex piece of science, but these are very good scientists. Even if they can only do it on a large scale (such as statewide, rather than city by city) it's a hugely important tool," Saunders said.

smithj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5474